Tonight was a product testing night. I wanted to make some carnitas to test out one of the Frontera sauce mixes.
It turned out amazing. I messed with the instructions though. So here is my rendition.
- 1 package country style pork ribs ( I like these better than the roasts. They cut up easier, are a little fattier and tend to do better slow cooked)
- 1 package frontera garlicky carnita sauce
- salt
Cut your meat into chucks and apply sea salt. Brown on all sides in a skillet. Transfer to your slow cooker. Cook on low for at least 6 hours.
Now….real carnitas are fried crispy around the edges. Here is how to achieve this and keep healthy. Preheat oven to 500. Take your pork out of the crockpot and into an oven safe glass dish. I like to mash the meat apart a little bit. Spray with Pam Olive Oil. Let cook for about 20 minutes. Keep checking on it. You want a nice, crispy finish. Stir it up some as it’s cooking. Take the meat out and pour some of the sauce from the crockpot over it. Turn the oven off and let it sit for another 10 minutes in that sauce.
I like to serve it with my cilantro cream sauce. (recipe is on the site). I also do some pickled peppers and onions. Typically people do those larger slices but I prefer diced.
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1 serrano pepper sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1\3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 lime (juiced)
You can make this the night before or at least a couple of hours before. Let it all sit mixed together in a Tupperware or bowl in the refrigerator to blend the flavors.
Of course, corn or flour tortillas and whatever other toppings you may want, however, I find these to be perfect they way shown.
The sauce is available in most grocery stores or you can order from Amazon.